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Hits & Misses

In any relationship between a company and customer there are many opportunities to impact the customer experience. A positive impact can improve the relationship and drive loyalty. A negative or lousy experience can jeopardize the relationship and result in a Detractor. I’ll call these Hits & Misses.

The following is a running commentary of my own Hits & Misses as they occur:

West Jet

What were they thinking when they added a $20 fee for a second piece of checked luggage? Couldn’t they find some cost savings elsewhere? I like this airline but thought this was a good example of Bad Profits. A MISS!

On the other hand, I received a phone call from a West Jet representative advising me that my booked flight was leaving 30 minutes later than schedule. I got this call a week ahead of time. Good on them. A HIT!

Bell Canada

I had a problem with my email and since Bell provides the service I gave them a call. I found out that the problem was all mine and not an issue with Bell. However, the Bell agent helped me fix the problem and was polite enough not to laugh at my technological shortcomings. They then followed up with an email survey to check on my satisfaction with the transaction. The survey could have been more NPS focused, but at least they were trying. A HIT!

Rogers Wireless

I called in to find out about using my Blackberry in Florida. I wanted a cheaper package, short-term if they had one. The IVR system is extensive and seemed to be broken at the time. When I finally found a live agent she had very little knowledge of what I was looking ofr. Then my call was dropped. I had to go back into the system and find another live agent. The secong agent tried to upsell me on a Rocket Stick before she even understood the reason for my call. The second agent wasn’t much help either. I never did get what I was looking for. The following day I got a computerized telephone survey from Rogers to check on the transaction. Given Roger’s telecom capapbilities, I would have expected a lot better from them. A MISS!

New Balance Shoes

I returned a pair of shoes to the store hoping I could negotiate a discount price on a replacement pair. After a bit of discussion, the Manager offered me a straight exchange for a new pair. Completely exceeded my expectations. A HIT!

Porter Airlines

The day after I booked two seats to New York, I saw a Porter Airlines ad offering a 30% reduction on flights to New York. I called them up hoping to get some sort of refund. They agent was very easy to talked to and I got a credit on my next flight. Not exactly a cash refund but almost as good and I did not have to fight for it. A HIT!

The Co-Operators Insurance

How would you treat a valuable customer that you’ve had for 41 years? Well, the Co-operators Insurance company treated me very poorly of late. Unexplained increases in premiums and overcharging me for four years. At least they admitted their mistake and refunded MY money plus interest. But now after 41 years they have forced me, a previously loyal customer, to look for an insurance company that I can trust. Wait…is there one out there? Customer experience really does drive loyalty. A MISS!

U-Haul Truck Rentals

They keep finding new ways to create Detractors. I rented a small truck using their online order system. The online form automatically places an order for boxes, moving blankets and a dolly…none of which I wanted but it was a challenge to delete these items from my order. I requested a truck from a U-Haul center within walking distance from my house but the automatic confirmation said I had to drive 20 minutes to a “Quicky Mart” to pick up my rental. I cancelled the order. The next day, I tried to rent a truck directly from the local U-Haul centre. After waiting 20 minutes in line and listening to horror stories from other customers, I walked out in despair. I’m a Detractor and never even rented a truck from them. A MISS!

Canada Post

When was the last time you paid NOT to receive a service? Canada Post actually charges households not to deliver the mail. If you are a homeowner going on vacation for two weeks and you want your mail delivery suspended , it will cost nearly $40. It might be cheaper to have a family member pick up the mail when you’re away. A MISS!

Roma Fence (Toronto)

At what point in a relationship does the customer experience begin? Well, it often starts long before the customer actually experiences the product or service. I needed to have some fencing replaced and I contacted Roma Fence to get a quote. I selected this company primarily because of their advertising and the website, so the relationship had already begun. However, it took three phone calls to them to get an estimator to the house and then it was several more days before I received the quote. In the meantime, I had got three quotes from other companies who were all below the quote from Roma. So, even before the relationship had a chance to develop, Roma had made me into a Detractor, all without even putting a nail into a board. A MISS!

Amazon.com

Sometimes it is the small things that count. Last month I ordered a book from Amazon.com and today I received an email to advise me of a $0.78 credit to my credit card. It seems that the export price of the book had dropped and I was entitled to a small refund. Yes, it is only $078, and it probably cost much more than that to process the refund to my credit card, but Amazon felt compelled to give me a credit. They could have kept the money and I would never have known. Instead they decided to invest in a long term relationship to keep a loyal customer. And it worked. All for $0.78. No wonder their NPS is so high. A HIT!